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She said: "Think about the parents, brothers, sisters, family, friends, the whole community. No parent should ever have to bury their child. I know it happens through illness but something that’s as needless as this, it shouldn’t happen.

"You can carry a knife and be lucky and never to use it but how do you know you won’t. You don’t.”

The mothers are speaking out in support of a police knife amnesty campaign.

Figures released by Cambridgeshire Police show that recorded knife crime in the county has risen by more than 25 per cent, which is in line with a national increase.

Between September 1 last year and January 30 this year, there have been 87 recorded crimes where a knife or sharp instrument has been used.

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There has also been a 16 per cent increase in the number of knife possession offences, from 167 in 2016 to 194 in 2017.

Starting on Monday (February 12) members of the public will be able to hand in knives without prosecution as part of Operation Sceptre, a week-long amnesty.

The last amnesty was held in October and resulted in 90 bladed items being recovered.

Bins will be located at Thorpe Wood Police Station and Bayard Place in Peterborough, Parkside Police Station in Cambridge, as well as police stations in Cambourne, Ely, March, Huntingdon and Wisbech.

Swords and machetes were among nearly 100 blades handed in to Cambridgeshire police during a knife amnesty last October

Chief Inspector Marcia Pringle said: "People carrying knives, particularly young people who carry knives do so without understanding the real consequences of using them, the devastation it can cause to those who are seriously injured or fatally wounded, nor the impact on the families who have lost loved ones.

"Helen and Linda’s stories illustrate the heartbreak and overwhelming grief they experience every day and will do so for the rest of their lives. Two grieving mothers who would never had experienced this if it wasn’t for the fact that the perpetrators were in possession of a knife.

"This knife amnesty is an opportunity to protect our loved ones from serious harm or a life changing conviction. If you have a son or a daughter, brother or sister, have that conversation with them, ask them if they carry a knife, and encourage them to stop. Encourage them to hand their knife in. That one conversation could be life changing and that one small action could be enough to save a life.”

It is illegal to:

Sell a knife of any kind to anyone under 18 years old

Carry a knife in a public place without good reason – unless it’s a knife with a folding blade three inches long (7.62cm) or less, eg a Swiss Army knife.

Carry, buy or sell any type of banned knife.

Use any knife in a threatening way (even a legal knife).

The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is four years in prison and a fine of £5,000.

Anyone who knows someone who carries a knife can also report it anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

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